Desolator (Red Alert 2)
|imgdesc = |faction = Soviet Union ( only) |baseunit = |role = Heavy infantry |eliteability = Increased strength, firepower, rate of fire, range, self-healing |useguns = Rad Beam Weapon Rad Eruption Weapon |usearmor = Nuclear battle suit |tier = 2 |hp = 150 |shield = |energy = |timedlife = |armortype = Plate |trans = |amphibious = No |techlvl = 8 |cost = $600 |time = 0:24 |produced = Soviet barracks |req = Radar Tower |hotkey = |squadsize = |groundattack = *125 (200 when elite) (RadBeamWarhead) *1 (deployed) (RadEruptionWarhead) *175 (IFV) (RadBeamWarhead) |airattack = |cooldown = *50 *60 (deployed) *30 (IFV) |airspeed = |landspeed = 4 |seaspeed = |range = *6 (8 when elite) *4 (deployed) *7 (IFV) |sight = 6 |parent = |addons = |evolvesto = |upgrades = |power = |produce = |allows = |research = |ability = Creates radiation field when deployed |structure = |notes = |margin = }} The desolator was an infamous Iraqi infantry unit used during first and second iterations of the Third World War. Background Created by Soviet-aligned Iraq, these voluntary warriors went through tests that would have killed them if it had not been for their radiation suits. Each soldier was equipped with a nuclear battle suitWestwood Studios, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. Allied mission 5: "Operation Free Gateway". and a rad-cannon. They were quite fast and spoke in a raspy, tired voice. In the Allied campaigns, they were only encountered in the occupied St. Louis during Operation: Free Gateway, where they demonstrated their abilities on captive civilians. A few of them were also deployed during Operation: Fallout. In the Soviet campaign of Red Alert 2, they became available during Operation: Desecration. In the Soviet campaign of Yuri's Revenge, they became available during Operation: Romanov on the Run. They were also the only infantry unit apart from Cosmonauts capable of surviving on the Moon. In-game While they are a potent anti-infantry unit with their rad-cannon's primary mode of fire (a concentrated radiation beam melting down enemy soldiers), their true power lies in the way they can deny an area to the enemy by irradiating the surface, so traversing it is lethal to infantry and damaging to vehicles. Their radiation field can penetrate water, making them capable of damaging submarines and revealing them. They are most effective at cutting off important choke points, such as passes, valleys, and even bridges. They were nearly matchless against any type of infantry, save for ones armed with long-ranged anti-infantry weaponry and flying infantry. The Desolator is only one of two types of infantry units authorized for the Moon assigment. However, they have to remain immobile while deploying their cannon and can be easily taken out by enemy snipers, heavier vehicles or airborne units. Their weapon is also completely useless against robotic units such as robot tanks. Usage It is useful to keep a few desolators around a Soviet base, as an effective counter against a Nighthawk rush carrying engineers or Navy SEALs. If timed just right, one can irradiate the landing zone before the SEALs arrive, causing them to instantly die the moment they leave the transport. However, if done too late, the SEALs will kill the desolator; the Nighthawk itself might also pick off the desolator if there is absolutely no anti-air defense. Nonetheless, the desolator is the Soviets' only equivalent to a "ranged sniper" unit, capable of picking off stray engineers who try to breach the base. The desolator is also a favorable unit to counter paratroopers, provided they can be transported fast enough to the drop zone. Desolator cannot harm infantry garrisoned in buildings. British snipers are not an effective counter against a large number of desolators due to their slow rate of fire. In large numbers, desolators can create a contamination zone more deadly than a nuclear missiles, and destroy nearly anything that comes through in a matter of moments. Strangely, a veteran desolator can withstand a nuke attack. Desolators can be combined with captured Allied IFV's to make "poor man's demolition trucks"; essentially a smaller version of the Libyan demolition truck's blast damage and radius, but which will result in radioactive fallout, damaging infantry that passes within (only in Yuri's Revenge; in Red Alert 2, he has an upgraded rad-cannon). The combination may still have other values as desolator can still shoot on their primary mode only, even affecting IFV promotion tally from the kills. However destruction of IFV will still instantly kill any infantry inside, desolator included. Allied commanders are normally wary to have their air support pick off slow moving desolators before they can reach the heart of massed Allied infantry formations, but incredibly fast IFVs can quickly deliver a radioactive blast to their center. They can also be used to cripple Yuri's economy, as slaves are very vulnerable to radiation, and it takes time to have the irradiated ground returning to normal after the desolator is no longer operating on it. A single deployed desolator's radiation field can easily kill all infantry units (except other desolators) as well as any non-robotic light vehicles within its radius. However, deploying more desolators is still useful, as their radiation fields stack. Legacy In the altered timeline, during The Uprising, a different desolator design was more machine than man. Now with the ability to corrode armour, a small group could take on any threat on the battlefield. Assessment Pros * Nearly unmatched against any type of infantry except snipers and rocketeers. * Cannot harm friendly units garrisoned in a building. * Can irradiate the surface, making passing through ground lethal to infantry and light vehicles * Their radiation field can also penetrate water, damaging enemy submerged units and revealing them. * Quite cheap ($600) considering the damage dealt when deployed. * With their healing ability and combined with heavy armour, desolators are deadly meat shields against most attacks. * Immune to radiation. * Can counter Tanya, Boris and Navy SEALs in groups Cons * Vulnerable to long-range weaponry and aircraft * Helpless against robots, base defenses, miners, and air units. * Ineffective against heavy vehicles as radiation inflicts little damage to them. * Deployed desolators cause friendly fire * Only available to Iraq. Quotes Gallery Desolator.jpg|Render in Soviet victory screen RA2_Desolator_Render.png|Render Earlydesolator.jpg|Early concept art RA2_Devastator_Concept_Mid.jpg|Concept art RA2_Desolator_concept_late.jpg|Final concept art File:Desolator_animation.gif|SHP sprite RA2_Desolator_Manual_Render.gif|Manual/website render RA2_Desolator_French_Icons.gif|Icon with French text RA2_Desolator_Korea_Icons.gif|Icon with Korean text RA2_Desolator_China_Icons.jpeg|Icon with Chinese text RA2_Alpha_Desolator_cameo.png|Alpha icon Trivia * In Yuri's Revenge version 1.000, they can enter an Infantry Fighting Vehicle to make a "poor man's Demolition Truck". In vanilla Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge version 1.001, the Desolator IFV fires the regular rad cannon instead. * Originally, the unit was called Gamma Legion and used a shoulder-mounted Gamma cannon. * While desolators can be seen paradropping in the campaign, they do not have an appropriate frame. *His voice lines were used for the R.A.D Tank in Shockwave. *Their diaolgue about a "silent spring" is a reference to a fairly well-known enviromental science book on the adverse effects of indiscriminate pesticide usage in agriculture. References Category:Red Alert 2 Infantry Category:Red Alert 2 Soviet Arsenal